Manufacturers continued to showcase their newest technology and introduce their new equipment at the UCT (Underground Construction Technology) Conference and Exposition in Houston this past January, two months before CONEXPO-CON/AGG. Attendance at the UCT was up from 2004 under an atmosphere of optimism.

The Trenchless Technical Symposium was well-received as was the RehabZone display. Many of the speakers for the 10 different educational tracks represented equipment manufacturers, but their presentations were informative rather than being sales pitches.

The most surprising news, however, is that next year, UCT will leave Texas after 10 years to hold their event in Atlanta, Georgia, January 24 – 26.

Astec Underground formally unveiled their newest horizontal directional drill, the Astec DD-3238, which takes the place of the American Augers DD-3 and the Case 6030 drill. The mid-sized DD-3238 with its sleek rounded look was designed as the first model in the new Astec Earth Pro series. It features 32,000 pounds of thrust/pullback force, dual rack and pinion carriage drive, hydraulic rod loading, on-board heated mud pump, multifunctional single joystick control, and microprocessor-controlled electronic readout. The new Astec Earth Pro series will take the best of the smaller American Augers and larger Case machines, combine them with Astec's technology to fully integrate the machine lines that Astec has purchased over the past three years.

"We chose to debut the DD-3238 here because the majority of the people who are interested in trenchless construction technology, and horizontal directional drilling in particular, make it a point to be a part of the UCT program," replied Chris Spier representing Astec Underground. "It was an opportunity for us to reach that highly specialized market in a very controlled, targeted manner."

Earth Tool Company announced three new machines in their HammerHead line, which is distributed through Vermeer dealerships. The patent pending PortaWinch PW15, which was designed for the portable "fiber to the home" market, can install up to five ducts in a single pull 300 feet or more at a rate of 11.5 fpm at 10 gpm. With 15 tons of pulling force, the PW15 improves upon the stitch boring process and can be operated from the HammerHead 13-horsepower hydraulic power pack or other hydraulic power sources. Its small size reduces excavation and heavy lifting.

The HydroBurst HB80 static pipe bursting system was strategically designed for sewer, water and gas lines from 3 inches to 12 inches in diameter, which make up 85 percent of the pipe bursting market today. Weighing only 3,060 pounds, the HB80 features an auto rod spinner and torqued joint rods, allowing it to be combined with "Smart Hammer Technology," such as the new Smart Hammer 16-inch Air Impactor pipe bursting tool, to increase its capabilities up to 20-inch-diameter pipe.

Jeff Wage, vice president of sales and marketing, reported that piercing tool sales have been up due to the Verizon build-out.

Godwin Pumps took this opportunity to introduce the new Heidra® 150VSG Hydraulic Submersible Pump, which handles thick, solids laden liquids with solids up to 5 inches in diameter. A remote actuated "slurry gate" enables the pump to be used as a mixer in applications where sludges are so thick they are initially unpumpable. After mixing to a pumpable consistency, the gate can be closed and the sludge pumped away. Uses include municipal or industrial wastewater treatment plant sludge tank cleaning and emptying. For durability, the Heidra 150VSG is designed with a cast iron pumpend and a cast chromium steel vortex impeller. A double oil bath mechanical seal gives this unit unlimited dry running capability, a feature designed for intermittent flow conditions.

Sharewell's new HDD steering tool with pressure monitors the pressure in the annulus of the bore hole. Any minor change can indicate the potential for either a frac-out or the hole packed in rock, causing them to get stuck. It allows the contractor to alleviate these situations before they become a problem. Sharewell also featured their new five-cutter, bi-directional LTX24×5 Lo-Torque Hole Opener. Ideal for pipeline projects, the "Jumbo" reduces impact loading on the cutters and reduces the torque cycle for increased working life.

Thortex America, division of E-Wood Ltd., announced a new spray-lining product. Copon Hycote 169HB features breakthrough technology in a rapid-set, semi-structural spray liner that confers structural properties to cast iron and ductile iron pipes. Copon Hycote 169HB is approved for use in public water lines and has been used extensively in Europe and Great Britain over the past few years. When used in combination with Copon Hycote GS, water loss can be eliminated and service can be restored in the same day. Their U.S. headquarters is in Houston.

TT Technology debuted their new Grundopull and Grundowinch RW10HB machines. The new hydraulically powered Grundopull was designed as a trenchless method for removing and replacing lead, plastic, copper, and steel services. The machine, which can be operated by a one- or two-person crew, can split or extract house connections with diameters from 1/2-inch to 2 inches and up to 150 feet in length with minimal disruption. The Grundopull's specially designed conical splitting expander either splits or extracts the host pipe. Contractors can choose to pull in the new pipe directly behind the expander or retrieve the split lead service first, then pull in the new service.

The new Grundowinch RW10HB introduces a constant tension winch featuring a hydraulically powered boom to simplify boom placement while reducing manpower and setup time. The RW10HB provides a 12-ton pulling capacity for pipe bursting, sliplining and cable pulling applications.

Vermeer introduced two new Navigator horizontal directional drills this year — the D100×120 Series II, which provides 100,000 pounds of thrust/pullback force, and the D24×40 Series II, which delivers 24,000 pounds of thrust/pullback force and has rack and pinion drive system. Both feature Tier II John Deere diesel engines, redesigned operator station with all drill functions integrated into joystick control and remote display in operator station.

Vermeer and Ring-O-Matic recently signed a strategic alliance, whereby Ring-O-Matic will handle manufacturing, invoicing, sales support, service, and warranty functions of their vacuum excavation equipment, with Vermeer providing distribution and marketing.

According to Ed Savage, Underground Market Segment manager, 2004 was a good year for underground. "Contractors have learned to diversify their markets. What we've seen are contractors who use HDD as just another tool in their toolbox."